Lecture

On 15/2/2016, Mohammad Hamwi has given a lecture at the Art Department of Valparaiso University about Islamic Art, and discussed his experience in photography in general and Islamic Art in specific.

This is an excerpt from his speech:
“When you visit a very old mosque built during the Islamic renaissance, and I hope you all have the chance to do so, you’ll see a lovely open space reaching to windows and light without presenting any prominent or precise feature such as drawings or sculptures to present you with the final image.

You’ll probably catch your eyes chasing long and wide walls to reach a crescent shaped window or the top of a dome where your eyes will rest and allow your soul to open up slowly and calmly.

At a place like that, you won’t see or find implied art or forced expression. You won’t be told to accept the assumed meaning of the image.

At a place like that, you can reach your own conclusion freely through the ornaments scattered around and from within the open space.”